Featured Post
Moving Domains
Hello All, Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own doma...
The Saturdays 24/7
It's a Sunday as I type this and I'm supposed to be in my bed, in my room, watching the travel channel and/or Nat Geo Adventure. But... my mum has took control of my room and is watching some home videos sent from America by our relatives, leaving me in her room, in front of the PC, trying to figure out what to do.
Good thing one of my favourite bands, the Saturdays, have a new telly show out. It's called the Saturdays 24/7. I tried to find a torrent I could download [darn, living outside the UK is tough, tough, tough, esp if you have a billion bands that are sooo huge in the UK but not so big in Asia. Darnit]. Good thing there's Youtube. Ahhh.. a saviour.
And so, for my sake, behold! The Saturdays 24/7 episode 1... in four parts.. from Youtube. Woot Woot.
What a great Sunday....=)
Good thing one of my favourite bands, the Saturdays, have a new telly show out. It's called the Saturdays 24/7. I tried to find a torrent I could download [darn, living outside the UK is tough, tough, tough, esp if you have a billion bands that are sooo huge in the UK but not so big in Asia. Darnit]. Good thing there's Youtube. Ahhh.. a saviour.
And so, for my sake, behold! The Saturdays 24/7 episode 1... in four parts.. from Youtube. Woot Woot.
What a great Sunday....=)
Tag :
music,
the saturdays,
A Day out at the Ayala Museum Part One: The Talk.
It was a lovely Saturday afternoon last August 14th when I left the house for the Ayala Museum. I was there to attend their History Comes Alive talk about what Andres Bonifacio might have said when he was leading the revolution. It was slated at 3pm and when I arrived at 245pm and paid the entrance fee [P300], I found myself seated at the leftmost side chairs, as apparently the centre chairs have been reserved for those who had reservations. *shrug* It was a last minute thing, with me thinking that I would definitely go to this talk so as not to waste a Saturday and see the museum at the same time. [Entrance to the museum comes with the entrance fee].
I noticed that Mr. Ocampo was milling around with the audience, waiting for his lecture to begin, so I hastily bought his newest book, Dirty Dancing 2 for P95, a collection of his newspaper articles and got him to sign it [see photo on the side, taken by my trusty camera phone! wheee]
I noticed that Mr. Ocampo was milling around with the audience, waiting for his lecture to begin, so I hastily bought his newest book, Dirty Dancing 2 for P95, a collection of his newspaper articles and got him to sign it [see photo on the side, taken by my trusty camera phone! wheee] Anyhoo, at around 3pm, the lecture started, with quite a long introduction on where the statues of Andres Bonifacio were, and how his students graphically differentiate Andres Bonifacio from Jose Rizal. Naturally, Rizal would often be drawn wearing the coat and tie and holding a pen [err.. a feather quill], whilst Bonifacio would be drawn wearing his cropped red pants, and wearing a v-necked white shirt with his signature bolo, of course. Rizal would also be portrayed as a scrawny, skinny guy, whilst Bonifacio would be drawn as a muscular dude.
What followed was a brief interactive talk on why people perceive both national icons in that way, and in reality, how Bonifacio could not have possibly fought the revolution using only a bolo whilst the Spanish were using guns. So duh, Bonifacio and his group could have used guns too. But with their resources, one would guess that they would only have one round of bullets to use on their enemies before they ran back to the cover of their hideout. Hmm.. At that rate, Bonifacio would have only killed around 6 enemies on a very good shot!
Discussed in the talk also - a photo of Bonifacio. There was only one photo of him, a teeny, tiny one, compared to Rizal's numerous portraits. I took photos of this from the event but it's in my big camera, which is with my mom right now so can't upload at the moment.
And the final question was: What could possibly have been the words Bonifacio used to motivate his people to move forward and continue fighting the revolution? Ambeth Ocampo thinks it is a rather naughty, bad word. Filipinos would understand even the initials: "PI!"
Overall, the talk has been very entertaining, and never a dull moment. It opened my eyes more to the history of the Philippines, and our heroes, and a plus side is that you could see some of these historical events on the 2nd floor of the museum, with the dioramas! Love Ambeth Ocampo, he is sooo hilarious, I can't stop laughing at some of his jokes and comments throughout the whole talk!
More about the exhibitions of the Ayala Museum on the Part Two post!
There's an upcoming talk about the Malolos Congress this September 18th, Saturday at 3pm. Still at the ground floor of the Ayala Museum, entrance fee is P300 [includes the talk + entrance to all parts of the museum]. Better reserve your slot if you intend to go! Visit the Ayala Museum at their website: http://www.ayalamuseum.org/ for more information.
Travel: Reasons why you should fly PAL.
Last August 21st, I had a scheduled trip to Boracay via Kalibo. It was my first time to go to Boracay [yeah, what a loser], and my first time to fly via Philippine Airlines.
Now, don't go on hating me, I have traveled to other places but I've used other airline carriers [Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Cebu Pacific], never PAL. Why? Well, I got used to the budget lifestyle, and the older trips were booked by my mum so I never had a say which airline to take. Anyway, my first time to fly PAL happened when they had a sale going to domestic destinations last February.My friends and I jumped at the chance since it means roundtrip plane tickets to Kalibo would cost P1800. Not bad considering that I'm flying by PAL [which is quite expensive, in my opinion].
On to the reasons why I would love to fly PAL, should the budget permits ;)
1. They've got more choices and better flight times for international flights.
- Think of it this way, if you chose Cebu Pacific going to Taiwan, chances are you're gonna get a late night flight. Arriving in Taipei in the evening certainly isn't the best option since yo'ure going to have to splurget at the hotel. on to the hotel and an extra night at the hotel.
2. More comfortable seats
- PAL has the most comfortable seats, ever!!! Well, nothing compared to the business class seats of Emirates, of course, but hey, for economy class tickets compared to the budget carriers, I am indeed comfortable. I'm not saying that PAL is a budget carrier [oh no no no!] but I looooooove their seats.
3. Snacks and free water/tea/coffee on the plane.
-Without paying for a hefty price! ha ha ha. Drink all the tea or coffee or water that you can!
4. Bigger planes.
- Loving the 747s of PAL [not that I ever rode in them yet, of course]
5. Mabuhay Miles.
- Free flights once you accumulate a certain number of miles, isn't that great???
6. Customer Service is a plus.
- When PAL cancelled their flights from HK during typhoon Basyang, they immediately booked all the people in a comfy hotel!! Jeez, whilst I was stuck in an airport in Cebu for a harrowing 10 hours, and experieced the worst turbulence ever whilst the pilot tried to land the plane in MNL [still, kudos to the pilot for trying to land us safely in MNL though, can totally understand why you had to divert us to Cebu]. But grrr!! The least CebuPac could have done was provide us lots of food at the airport terminal. The foreigners I was chatting with were very disappointed [they were Brit nationals, mind you -- hmm... I often find myself chatting randomly to Brit or Aussie locals when I'm traveling], they actually missed their connecting flight to Coron the next day! *sigh* Not sure if they would still come back to MNL or the PH in general. Anyhooo, again, budget vs higher fare airlines. I got what I paid for. Oh well, not that I am complaining much anyway.
7. More international destinations.
- Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and so much more. Well, although they are a bit far out and require more moolah to travel to, they are in my must-travel list. [Hmm actually every major city in the world is probably in my must-travel list! ha ha. And that includes trying to explore all the historic cities of the UK and Italy. Good luck to me... and my dreams.. and my budget].
And so the list goes. I can't really think of anything more right now. Hmmm.. gotta work to earn more and travel more. Toodles!
Now, don't go on hating me, I have traveled to other places but I've used other airline carriers [Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Cebu Pacific], never PAL. Why? Well, I got used to the budget lifestyle, and the older trips were booked by my mum so I never had a say which airline to take. Anyway, my first time to fly PAL happened when they had a sale going to domestic destinations last February.My friends and I jumped at the chance since it means roundtrip plane tickets to Kalibo would cost P1800. Not bad considering that I'm flying by PAL [which is quite expensive, in my opinion].
On to the reasons why I would love to fly PAL, should the budget permits ;)
1. They've got more choices and better flight times for international flights.
- Think of it this way, if you chose Cebu Pacific going to Taiwan, chances are you're gonna get a late night flight. Arriving in Taipei in the evening certainly isn't the best option since yo'ure going to have to splurget at the hotel. on to the hotel and an extra night at the hotel.
2. More comfortable seats
- PAL has the most comfortable seats, ever!!! Well, nothing compared to the business class seats of Emirates, of course, but hey, for economy class tickets compared to the budget carriers, I am indeed comfortable. I'm not saying that PAL is a budget carrier [oh no no no!] but I looooooove their seats.
3. Snacks and free water/tea/coffee on the plane.
-Without paying for a hefty price! ha ha ha. Drink all the tea or coffee or water that you can!
4. Bigger planes.
- Loving the 747s of PAL [not that I ever rode in them yet, of course]
5. Mabuhay Miles.
- Free flights once you accumulate a certain number of miles, isn't that great???
6. Customer Service is a plus.
- When PAL cancelled their flights from HK during typhoon Basyang, they immediately booked all the people in a comfy hotel!! Jeez, whilst I was stuck in an airport in Cebu for a harrowing 10 hours, and experieced the worst turbulence ever whilst the pilot tried to land the plane in MNL [still, kudos to the pilot for trying to land us safely in MNL though, can totally understand why you had to divert us to Cebu]. But grrr!! The least CebuPac could have done was provide us lots of food at the airport terminal. The foreigners I was chatting with were very disappointed [they were Brit nationals, mind you -- hmm... I often find myself chatting randomly to Brit or Aussie locals when I'm traveling], they actually missed their connecting flight to Coron the next day! *sigh* Not sure if they would still come back to MNL or the PH in general. Anyhooo, again, budget vs higher fare airlines. I got what I paid for. Oh well, not that I am complaining much anyway.
7. More international destinations.
- Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and so much more. Well, although they are a bit far out and require more moolah to travel to, they are in my must-travel list. [Hmm actually every major city in the world is probably in my must-travel list! ha ha. And that includes trying to explore all the historic cities of the UK and Italy. Good luck to me... and my dreams.. and my budget].
And so the list goes. I can't really think of anything more right now. Hmmm.. gotta work to earn more and travel more. Toodles!
The move from books to travel.
I admit it, I am obsessed. I am now obsessed with travel. *sigh* It has hit me, and it has hit me hard.
I look now at the bookshelves that I have and realize that while these books have helped me learn a lot of things in my life, and taken me to places far and wide through my imagination, I realize that I need to get out there and experience these places on my own and not just through pages of a hardbound, trade paperback or a mass market paperback.
Back in 2008, I met some of my Western colleagues when I was sent to London for work. At their teens, they have already seen several places for their holidays, been to several countries. My trainer, who is now in his mid 30s is now pushing for the 72nd country to visit. 72 countries in 30 something years. That's an average of nearly 2 countries a year. That is astounding. That is amazing. That is inspiring.
And although these western counterparts do make a lot more money than myself as a Filipino [hey, at the moment, the pound is pounding at around 1GBP to 70-80PHP. Way back in 2008 it was 1GBP to nearly 100PHP. Could you imagine that?? A pound for them, a simple coin, is worth a lot of money for us Filipinos] I will do my best to curb all spending and just place it in travel. It's for myself, it's for my growth, for realizing that the world is huge, it's out there. To live curious [National Geographic], to realize that the world is just awesome [Discovery Channel], to get lost [National Geographic Adventure].
Oh yes, the travel bug caught me when I recently changed my cable subscription and subscribed to additional channels called Discovery Travel and Living [which I think is called TLC now], Nat Geo Adventure, Discovery Science, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Oh gosh, I am on overload of places to visit.
But that doesn't mean I've given up on reading books. I will still continue to read and review, although admittedly, my notebooks about travel are filling up faster than the book reviews. *cringe*
I am about to finish the longest book I've ever read in my entire life [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a staggering 870 pages long for the hardbound version], and yes, that is also a milestone for me. I still can't live without my books, without bringing one in my bag whenever I go to work every morning or whenever I leave the house, and bringing one special book as well whenever I go out of town or on my holidays.
They both will have special places in my hearts, its just a matter of priority, and the priority is to get out there and live, oh gosh, does that mean I'm not a nerd anymore?? =)
I look now at the bookshelves that I have and realize that while these books have helped me learn a lot of things in my life, and taken me to places far and wide through my imagination, I realize that I need to get out there and experience these places on my own and not just through pages of a hardbound, trade paperback or a mass market paperback.
Back in 2008, I met some of my Western colleagues when I was sent to London for work. At their teens, they have already seen several places for their holidays, been to several countries. My trainer, who is now in his mid 30s is now pushing for the 72nd country to visit. 72 countries in 30 something years. That's an average of nearly 2 countries a year. That is astounding. That is amazing. That is inspiring.
And although these western counterparts do make a lot more money than myself as a Filipino [hey, at the moment, the pound is pounding at around 1GBP to 70-80PHP. Way back in 2008 it was 1GBP to nearly 100PHP. Could you imagine that?? A pound for them, a simple coin, is worth a lot of money for us Filipinos] I will do my best to curb all spending and just place it in travel. It's for myself, it's for my growth, for realizing that the world is huge, it's out there. To live curious [National Geographic], to realize that the world is just awesome [Discovery Channel], to get lost [National Geographic Adventure].
Oh yes, the travel bug caught me when I recently changed my cable subscription and subscribed to additional channels called Discovery Travel and Living [which I think is called TLC now], Nat Geo Adventure, Discovery Science, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Oh gosh, I am on overload of places to visit.
But that doesn't mean I've given up on reading books. I will still continue to read and review, although admittedly, my notebooks about travel are filling up faster than the book reviews. *cringe*
I am about to finish the longest book I've ever read in my entire life [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a staggering 870 pages long for the hardbound version], and yes, that is also a milestone for me. I still can't live without my books, without bringing one in my bag whenever I go to work every morning or whenever I leave the house, and bringing one special book as well whenever I go out of town or on my holidays.
They both will have special places in my hearts, its just a matter of priority, and the priority is to get out there and live, oh gosh, does that mean I'm not a nerd anymore?? =)
Post-Holiday Blues.
So, do you ever get the feeling that after your long, relaxing getaway, you have to wake up the next morning and have to get back to work? Ugh. Dread. Dread. Dread. Sometimes I just think that without work, no travels, no holidays, no getaways, no MONEY! Eeeeep!
Anyway, I've been out of the cyber world for quite some time again since I've been to Boracay! Wheee. It's my first time in that island paradise in the Philippines and I'm loving it! Will probs post something about it when I have time, which I always seem to lack! Grrr...
Going on overtime for this month for an hour or two everyday is definitely not one of my happiest times. I haven't finished a book for the longest time, haven't stayed up late watching tv shows or movies [although admittedly, I have stayed up late numerous times watching Discovery Travel and Living -- I love that channel], and well, haven't really been living my life except work, work work. *sigh* The things you have to do in life to live, eh?
Anyway, I don't have any adventures lined up until maybe November 2010 [except for some concerts here and there if I'm lucky enough to get tickets], so I'm gonna be a boring old hag and post old material to just ease on the boredom on lag times. Yes, I may be able to finish reading a book by next month [yes, I'm that slow a reader], and hopefully I get my copy of Mockingjay soon!!! Although, as another friend told me, I have to finish Catching Fire first, read the last 4 books of Percy Jackson, and also get the Kane Chronicles, amongst others. Oh my. What a supposed busy life I would lead!
And so, I want to pack my bags again, go out to some place I haven't been before, but for now, I'm just gonna content myself with what I imagine and see through books and shows.
That is all.
I cannot wait for August 30th. It's a HOLIDAY. Woohooo. NO WORK!!!
Anyway, I've been out of the cyber world for quite some time again since I've been to Boracay! Wheee. It's my first time in that island paradise in the Philippines and I'm loving it! Will probs post something about it when I have time, which I always seem to lack! Grrr...
Going on overtime for this month for an hour or two everyday is definitely not one of my happiest times. I haven't finished a book for the longest time, haven't stayed up late watching tv shows or movies [although admittedly, I have stayed up late numerous times watching Discovery Travel and Living -- I love that channel], and well, haven't really been living my life except work, work work. *sigh* The things you have to do in life to live, eh?
Anyway, I don't have any adventures lined up until maybe November 2010 [except for some concerts here and there if I'm lucky enough to get tickets], so I'm gonna be a boring old hag and post old material to just ease on the boredom on lag times. Yes, I may be able to finish reading a book by next month [yes, I'm that slow a reader], and hopefully I get my copy of Mockingjay soon!!! Although, as another friend told me, I have to finish Catching Fire first, read the last 4 books of Percy Jackson, and also get the Kane Chronicles, amongst others. Oh my. What a supposed busy life I would lead!
And so, I want to pack my bags again, go out to some place I haven't been before, but for now, I'm just gonna content myself with what I imagine and see through books and shows.
That is all.
I cannot wait for August 30th. It's a HOLIDAY. Woohooo. NO WORK!!!
Tag :
personal,
Macau: Wynn, Grand Lisboa, Hotel Lisboa
So, you arrived in Macau in the evening. It's literally your first day in Macau. Now what can you do?
If you took the same flight as I did [Cebu Pacific arrival into Macau from Manila -- arrival around 9:30PM, and after clearing immigrations, getting your bags, and taking a bus or a taxi to your hotel and checking in, and its now 10:30PM] then here's some tips on what you can do if you still have the energy to go out and make the most out of your trip.
Well, after a harrowing experience riding the AP1 bus -- where some Chinese people don't queue and just run ahead of you and taking a shuttle bus, walking to the hotel and checking in, checking out the rooms, my friend and I got restless. And so we took a short walk from Metropole Hotel to watch the fountain shows at Wynn and also the Tree of Prosperity & Dragon show. The fountain shows are until 12mn, with 15 minute intervals in the middle. I managed to watch "Colours of the Wind", which is the second to the last show, while the last fountain show is the best - slated for 12mn! The title is "Hero" and is complete with fire effects. Loved it!! The Tree of Prosperity & Dragon Show are alternating, and happens every 30 minutes near the casino.
And.. of course, after you've explored Wynn, you have to go have your photos taken in the streets at the other casinos! The Grand Lisboa is known for its pineapple-shaped building structure! You could see it from far away!
If you took the same flight as I did [Cebu Pacific arrival into Macau from Manila -- arrival around 9:30PM, and after clearing immigrations, getting your bags, and taking a bus or a taxi to your hotel and checking in, and its now 10:30PM] then here's some tips on what you can do if you still have the energy to go out and make the most out of your trip.
Well, after a harrowing experience riding the AP1 bus -- where some Chinese people don't queue and just run ahead of you and taking a shuttle bus, walking to the hotel and checking in, checking out the rooms, my friend and I got restless. And so we took a short walk from Metropole Hotel to watch the fountain shows at Wynn and also the Tree of Prosperity & Dragon show. The fountain shows are until 12mn, with 15 minute intervals in the middle. I managed to watch "Colours of the Wind", which is the second to the last show, while the last fountain show is the best - slated for 12mn! The title is "Hero" and is complete with fire effects. Loved it!! The Tree of Prosperity & Dragon Show are alternating, and happens every 30 minutes near the casino.
Once inside the Wynn area, before the tree of prosperity and dragon show do look up and check out the awesome animals that make up the Chinese New Year. There's the rat, the monkey, the horse, among others. It's absolutely breathtaking! Take lots of photos too! I loved the bottom part of the area which shows the earth, I think. Those two golden designs are trapdoors which open up during the shows!
If you can afford it, you could also try and look through some of the shops that line up inside the Wynn concourse. I myself took a peek at the Ferrari store in hopes of buying a stuffed toy, which turned out to be absolutely expensive! Never mind! I can't afford any of the stuff they have to offer =p
Can I just add that I love the carpeting of Wynn? It's so soft! I swear, when my feet were hurting because of all the walking, I just wanted to walk barefoot in the carpet, which of course, I didn't do. Do check out the chandelier at the Wynn! It's red! Cute! And take a peek at the gorgeous Wynn pool. If I were rich, I would've checked in this hotel in an instant!
And.. of course, after you've explored Wynn, you have to go have your photos taken in the streets at the other casinos! The Grand Lisboa is known for its pineapple-shaped building structure! You could see it from far away!
See? Even if you don't have enough money for gambling or can't take the risk, you can still enjoy the casinos of Macau! More on my trip on my next Macau blog =)
Macau: Sample Itineraries and Places to Go
Since I'm bored and my download + video conversion is taking forever, might as well continue with my Macau blogs :)
Here's some ideas on how to plan your trip and where to go to [grouped together accordingly for easier navigation -- which places are near to each other, etc etc]
HISTORIC A:
Mount Fortress [Opens at 8am]
Macau Museum [opens at 10am; entrance fee around 10MOP, i think?]
St Paul's Ruins [Open 24/7]
Musem of Sacred Art & Crypt [behind St. Paul's ruins] -- 10AM; Free of Charge!
Na Tcha Temple [8AM] --> teeny tiny temple located beside St. Paul's Ruins
Old City Walls --> Very near Na Tcha temple. Not entirely tourist-worthy but might as well drop by while you're near the area
**around 5-10 minutes walk from St Paul's Cathedral are**
St Anthony's Church [opens 730AM]
Protestant Cemetery [opens 9AM] --> teeny tiny cemetery, first I thought it would overwhelm me with the size but not quite :)
Camoes Square
Camoes Garden [930AM]
HISTORIC B:
Cathedral Square
Cathedral [730AM]
Lou Kau Mansion [9AM]
Holy House of Mercy [10AM; closed on Sundays]
Senado Square
St Dominic's Square
St Dominic's Church [10AM]
Museum of Sacred Arts [right beside St Dominic's Church. No entrance fee but feel free to give donations! It's four floors of Catholic relics]
Sam Kai Vun Temple -- old temple.
HISTORIC C:
Macau Tourism Office [Lol this isn't historic but worth dropping by there to get some maps & other flyers that you would need for the trip.]
General Post Office -- quaint building
Leal Senado [Open from 9AM onwards; closed on Mondays] -- worth taking photos in the garden & the staircase!
St. Augustine's Church
St. Augustine's Square
Dom Pedro V Theatre
Robert To Hung Library [open 10AM onwards]
St. Joseph's Seminary & Church
St. Lawrence's Church
HISTORIC D:
Mandarin House -- loved this place! It's huge!
Lilau Square [teeny tiny square]
Moorish Barracks [Open from 9Am-6PM]
A-Ma Temple [Open 9AM-6PM]
Macau Maritime Museum [Entrance fee: 10MOP]
Penha Church/Penha Hill [Love the views in Penha hill! Church is also gorgeous! You could see this church from the island and is a breath of fresh air compared to the other churches in Macau]
Macau Tower [entrance fee: 100 MOP --> engage in the sky jump, bungee jump or sky walk x if you dare.. and if you've got the funds, of course]
HISTORIC E:
Guia Hill Municipal Park [Ride the cable car!! So cheap, it's a short line but FUN!]
Guia Fortress --> lighthouse & the church are a must see!!
Lau Lim Leoc Garden
St. Michael's Cemetery
Orient Arch
St. Lazarus Church
Tourism Activities Centre [Grand Prix Museum & Wine Museum]
Vasco de Gama Garden
Tap Seac Gallery
CASINO 1:
Wynn [catch the fountain show, the Tree of Prosperity & the dragon show!!]
Casino Lisboa
Grand Lisboa -- love the pineapple shape of this casino and hotel!
Worth walking around the street and getting photos with the amazing lights of these casinos at night
CASINO/SIGHT SEE 2:
Sands
Fisherman's Wharf [great place, but I was surprised that this place is not teeming with tourists! Just across from the Sands casino]
Lotus Flower in Full Bloom
Jai Alai Casino
TOUR A: [Optional, if you guys have more time to spend in Macau]
Lin Ze Xu Museum
Mong Ha Fortress
Mong Ha Park
Red Market
Mantanha Russa Garden
Islamic Mosque & Cemetery
Kun Lam Temple
Communications Museum
TOUR B:
Barrier Gate
Sun Yat Sen Park
TOUR C:
Handover gifts museum of Macau
Macau Cultural Centre
Macau Art Museum
Macau Science Museum
COLOANE:
Hac Sa Park & Beach
Coloane Village: President A.R. Earnes Square, Church of St Francis Xavier, Tin Hau Temple, Tam kung Temple
Museum of Nature & Agriculture
Seac Pai Van Park
Arboretum
Coloane Park
Alto de Coloane Park
A-Ma Cultural Village
A-Ma Statue [GOLD!!]
TAIPA:
Kun Lam Rock
Four-Faced Buddha [seen a four-faced buddha in HK before, in Repulse Bay, but idk how big this Buddha is]
Macau Stadium & Olympic Centre
Taipa Village: Taipa Houses Museum
Ka Sin Tong Temple, Our Lady of Carmel Church, Municipal Garden, Tin Hau Temple & Pak Tai Temple
COTAI STRIP: [mostly casinos]
Venetian [do watch the shows and my post about the venetian! =) ]
Hard Rock Hotel [I'm loving the memorabilia in this hotel!]
City of Dreams
Four Seasons [there's a passageway from the Venetian to the Four Seasons]
And that's it! Any questions, let me know =)
Here's some ideas on how to plan your trip and where to go to [grouped together accordingly for easier navigation -- which places are near to each other, etc etc]
HISTORIC A:
Mount Fortress [Opens at 8am]
Macau Museum [opens at 10am; entrance fee around 10MOP, i think?]
St Paul's Ruins [Open 24/7]
Musem of Sacred Art & Crypt [behind St. Paul's ruins] -- 10AM; Free of Charge!
Na Tcha Temple [8AM] --> teeny tiny temple located beside St. Paul's Ruins
Old City Walls --> Very near Na Tcha temple. Not entirely tourist-worthy but might as well drop by while you're near the area
**around 5-10 minutes walk from St Paul's Cathedral are**
St Anthony's Church [opens 730AM]
Protestant Cemetery [opens 9AM] --> teeny tiny cemetery, first I thought it would overwhelm me with the size but not quite :)
Camoes Square
Camoes Garden [930AM]
HISTORIC B:
Cathedral Square
Cathedral [730AM]
Lou Kau Mansion [9AM]
Holy House of Mercy [10AM; closed on Sundays]
Senado Square
St Dominic's Square
St Dominic's Church [10AM]
Museum of Sacred Arts [right beside St Dominic's Church. No entrance fee but feel free to give donations! It's four floors of Catholic relics]
Sam Kai Vun Temple -- old temple.
HISTORIC C:
Macau Tourism Office [Lol this isn't historic but worth dropping by there to get some maps & other flyers that you would need for the trip.]
General Post Office -- quaint building
Leal Senado [Open from 9AM onwards; closed on Mondays] -- worth taking photos in the garden & the staircase!
St. Augustine's Church
St. Augustine's Square
Dom Pedro V Theatre
Robert To Hung Library [open 10AM onwards]
St. Joseph's Seminary & Church
St. Lawrence's Church
HISTORIC D:
Mandarin House -- loved this place! It's huge!
Lilau Square [teeny tiny square]
Moorish Barracks [Open from 9Am-6PM]
A-Ma Temple [Open 9AM-6PM]
Macau Maritime Museum [Entrance fee: 10MOP]
Penha Church/Penha Hill [Love the views in Penha hill! Church is also gorgeous! You could see this church from the island and is a breath of fresh air compared to the other churches in Macau]
Macau Tower [entrance fee: 100 MOP --> engage in the sky jump, bungee jump or sky walk x if you dare.. and if you've got the funds, of course]
HISTORIC E:
Guia Hill Municipal Park [Ride the cable car!! So cheap, it's a short line but FUN!]
Guia Fortress --> lighthouse & the church are a must see!!
Lau Lim Leoc Garden
St. Michael's Cemetery
Orient Arch
St. Lazarus Church
Tourism Activities Centre [Grand Prix Museum & Wine Museum]
Vasco de Gama Garden
Tap Seac Gallery
CASINO 1:
Wynn [catch the fountain show, the Tree of Prosperity & the dragon show!!]
Casino Lisboa
Grand Lisboa -- love the pineapple shape of this casino and hotel!
Worth walking around the street and getting photos with the amazing lights of these casinos at night
CASINO/SIGHT SEE 2:
Sands
Fisherman's Wharf [great place, but I was surprised that this place is not teeming with tourists! Just across from the Sands casino]
Lotus Flower in Full Bloom
Jai Alai Casino
TOUR A: [Optional, if you guys have more time to spend in Macau]
Lin Ze Xu Museum
Mong Ha Fortress
Mong Ha Park
Red Market
Mantanha Russa Garden
Islamic Mosque & Cemetery
Kun Lam Temple
Communications Museum
TOUR B:
Barrier Gate
Sun Yat Sen Park
TOUR C:
Handover gifts museum of Macau
Macau Cultural Centre
Macau Art Museum
Macau Science Museum
COLOANE:
Hac Sa Park & Beach
Coloane Village: President A.R. Earnes Square, Church of St Francis Xavier, Tin Hau Temple, Tam kung Temple
Museum of Nature & Agriculture
Seac Pai Van Park
Arboretum
Coloane Park
Alto de Coloane Park
A-Ma Cultural Village
A-Ma Statue [GOLD!!]
TAIPA:
Kun Lam Rock
Four-Faced Buddha [seen a four-faced buddha in HK before, in Repulse Bay, but idk how big this Buddha is]
Macau Stadium & Olympic Centre
Taipa Village: Taipa Houses Museum
Ka Sin Tong Temple, Our Lady of Carmel Church, Municipal Garden, Tin Hau Temple & Pak Tai Temple
COTAI STRIP: [mostly casinos]
Venetian [do watch the shows and my post about the venetian! =) ]
Hard Rock Hotel [I'm loving the memorabilia in this hotel!]
City of Dreams
Four Seasons [there's a passageway from the Venetian to the Four Seasons]
And that's it! Any questions, let me know =)
Music: One Night Only
I know I haven't blogged in the loooongest time! Life has been extremely hectic for me on the work front, and it has been hell sometimes. I haven't even finished a book or a telly series in a long time!
Anyhoo, just wanted to share my new obsession: British band One Night Only [ONO]. Fronted by George Craig [who also happens to be Emma Watson's beau], I'm loving their style, and of course, their music!
Britpop at its finest! teehee! They're currently an Indie band and their new single "Say You Don't Want It" will be out next week! Wheee!!! The album will be out at the last week of August 2010 too.
I'll leave you with a video of Say You Don't Want It. Love. Love. Love.
Did you guys see the twist at the end? Loving this video!! And the band.. and everything else in between! teehee!
Anyhoo, just wanted to share my new obsession: British band One Night Only [ONO]. Fronted by George Craig [who also happens to be Emma Watson's beau], I'm loving their style, and of course, their music!
Britpop at its finest! teehee! They're currently an Indie band and their new single "Say You Don't Want It" will be out next week! Wheee!!! The album will be out at the last week of August 2010 too.
I'll leave you with a video of Say You Don't Want It. Love. Love. Love.
Did you guys see the twist at the end? Loving this video!! And the band.. and everything else in between! teehee!
Tag :
music,
One Night Only,
Movie Review: Salt, which you should take with a grain of salt.
It stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer, used to being in the field. So when a walk-in informant told the CIA that Evelyn Salt was a Russian spy and was intending to kill the Russian President, she was the subject of suspicion. So, who indeed was Evelyn Salt? This was the premise of the first hour or so of the movie. Was she as she says she is - an American CIA agent, or was she really a Russian spy as stated by the informant?
After that first hour of guessing, which made me feel like I'm watching an episode of Lost, because I kept changing my mind on my theory. Which was fine. Then the last hour started, and I got bored.
Sure, there was a twist at the end that I was totally not expecting. [Expect a red herring moment!] But then again, it was not enough for me. This movie was too overhyped and did not live up my standards and what I thought this movie would be.
As a friend of mine said, "this movie is like Bourne, with a girl on it." So, if you like movies with a lot of action and/or would just want to see Angelina Jolie, then by all means, see it. If you're choosing between Salt and a bunch of other movies, I'd say, go watch Inception instead. Inception is more worthy of your time than this flick.
Tag :
2010 movies,
Macau: an Introduction
As promised to my friends, I would try and chronicle my travels. So, for 2010, I decided to go abroad and fly back to Hong Kong and make a side trip to Macau as well.
Introduction
Macau has three islands Macau Island, Taipa, and Coloane. However, recent developments in Macau meant that the Cotai strip - a manmade reclamation area that houses some of the biggest casinos in the area, joined the Taipa and Coloane islands. Why is this Special Administrative Area of China so unique and popular to tourists? Well, first off, its got a ton of casinos -- something that Hong Kong and even the mainland lack. Some locals go to Macau for the weekend so expect hotel rates to rise! Some parts of Macau are also World Heritage sites - well, I think that's enough for me to go, right? History, history, history! Its got old churches, and other places worth mentioning.
Planning Your Trip and Tips
When I booked my tickets, I just had some dates in mind. I decided to book immediately because a local airline [Cebu Pacific] was holding dirt cheap airfares! Anyway, I went there around July -- which is a boiling hot time to go, so not very ideal if you hate the hot weather! Try going there in the colder months, October-March!
How many days is ideal to stay in Macau? It totally depends on you! If you want to just check out the historic center, then a day is enough, but if you want to check out some of the casinos out there, then two days would be more than enough. In my case, I went to the historic areas in the morning, whilst going to the casinos at night. If you also want to check out the other islands, Coloane and Taipa, then three days at the most. I wouldn't recommend staying in Macau for more than three days because I got bored. If I were you, I'd want to plan a trip to Zhuhai [if you have a mainland China visa], or to Hong Kong too. Most visitors tend to go to Hong Kong as there are far more activities and tourist areas to go to!
Getting There
There's three ways to go to Macau: you could go by land, air, or sea. Macau is easily accessible from Hong Kong, and you have the option to enter through Hong Kong and take a ferry to Macau [which lasts only for an hour and the option that most people do], or to ride a helicopter from HKIA to Macau's airport or the heliport near the ferry terminal. Macau is also accessible from Mainland China - via Zhuhai. Just taking the bus from Guangzhou [Zhuhai] into Macau is a breeze. And the last option: by air. There are several airlines flying to Macau. I come from Manila so Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines land there. The airport is in Taipa, which is around 30 minutes to an hour away from the Macau Peninsula.
The airport - do note that the airport is very, very small! Once the plane lands, it taxis for around 10 minutes before it reaches the airport terminal. Once you alight from the plane, it's a short walk and there's customs! Normally there's loads of people around, which could take you around 30 minutes or more to clear. After customs, you can claim your baggage, and you're finally off!
Transportation
Unlikes the other tourist destinations, Macau has no MTR! To get around the city, you have to walk, take the bus, or hire a taxi. Or there's the open secret of using the free shuttle buses offered by the casinos and walking to the nearest sight! teehee. Thing is, you've got to plan your itinerary and where you're going very, very carefully to make the most out of your time and money! =)
Getting Around, Research, and Resources
When I arrived in Macau, there are no maps in the airport. So, how would you get to your hotels? There are three options: 1. Hotel pickup. I'm not sure if all hotels do this, but this is not the option we took as our hotel has no option for this. 2. Taxi - too bloody expensive for me but it is the most convenient and 3. Take the AP1 bus somewhere and transfer to another bus or just walk to your hotel. The latter is the one I chose, as its very, very cheap - 4.20 MOP from Taipa/airport to the Ferry Terminal in Macau Peninsula!
Anyway, I also survived by downloading and printing a map of Macau from the Macau Tourist Office.
You could download the maps here --> http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/en/download/map.php
Both the Macau and Taipa/Coloane maps are made of four pages each, and you have to assemble each of them like a jigsaw puzzle. You just need a bit of patience, a table, and some sticky tape and you're on your way! This way you could get a birds eye view of Macau and plan your trip accordingly.
On another blog, I'll try and group together all the activities you could do so you won't have a hard time to do so =)
Other information, you could download/get from the Macau tourism website --> http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/en/discovering/sightseeing.php
If you're bloody obsessive-compulsive like I am then it's also worth research, research and research!!
Nuffnang and HEAVEN Ice Cream invite you to a special screening of ‘SALT’
Divine ice cream pleasure is HEAVEN Ice Cream.
Give in to the richest, smoothest, and creamiest by NESTLÉ Ice Cream. Revel in the exquisite goodness of its four sophisticated flavors—Belgian Chocolate Bliss, Strawberry Dream, Vanilla Almond Secret and Butter Pecan Obsession. HEAVEN Ice Cream is made with only the finest ingredients and contains no artificial food colors. Available in 800mL(Php 175) & 450mL(Php 115) tubs across supermarkets, groceries, and convenience stores nationwide.
Tag :
contest,
Anglophile and Inception
Whilst I was surfing Wikipedia looking for anything Inception-related [read: actors, plotlines, related movies], I saw an article about Joseph-Gordon Levitt and how he is a Francophile - a person with a strong positive disposition to France. Anything about France, its culture, history, the people.
Hmm... which got me thinking. For followers of my blog, I dunno if there are any, you probably notice that I tend to write in British spelling, rave about anything British [especially the bands], and loooooove London so much that I'd want to go back and maybe live there in the future. And yes, even the World War II stuff, I find myself rooting for the Brits [the Allied troops] instead of the Americans, who liberated us. Teehee. Colonial mentality, call it, but I still love Britannia!
Turns out, there is such a cultural appreciation term for me! It's called Anglophile!! A certain love for anything England. Woot Woot. This started when I was in 6th grade, I think, waaay back in 1997, when I discovered my favourite band of all time and got absolutely obsessed about London.
Don't get me wrong, I was born here in this island country in Asia called the Philippines, but there was something absolutely different about me. I was brought up in a Western sort of way, with relatives from America, and also well, the blood of my Spanish ancestors also run in my blood. I think.
Anyway.......... enough of the Anglophile talk. I just wanted to say I am an anglophile. teehee.
On other news, I've just seen Inception last Sunday and all I can say is WOW. One of the best movies I've ever seen so far. The plotline is absolutely complex, it's hard for me to think how Christopher Nolan wrote the screenplay for it. It was excellently done too. And Leo.. oh Leo. Why is he so freaking hot??
With the girl from Juno + Joseph Gordon-Levitt [I'll always associate him with 500 days of Summer & the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun - one of the best tv shows of all time], the ensemble cast is great!
And... Cillan Murphy.... he's Irish, you know? Adds all the more to his charm! teehee. I think I've seen him before in a British-produced movie but I'm racking my brains where and I'm too lazy to check on IMDB or wikipedia. teeehee.
Back to regular programming now - I'm back at work, and my commute to and from work is taking forever!!! I've packed my book light with me so I could work on some notes and maybe read a little while on the way home. The traffic going home [I live in the south of the metro] is absolutely unexpected - sometimes the commute takes less than 40 minutes, sometimes it takes more than an hour in the expressway. I love my Energizer book lamp. I got it for free from my Citibank credit card rewards points too =) Retail price is around P400+!
I'm still finalizing the itinerary for the Macau/HK trip that I plan to put up here sometime soon. Woo!
And yes, the blog has just officially gone from a book blog to my personal blog. AGAIN.
Blame the laziness in me to maintain 3 separate blogs.
Hmm... which got me thinking. For followers of my blog, I dunno if there are any, you probably notice that I tend to write in British spelling, rave about anything British [especially the bands], and loooooove London so much that I'd want to go back and maybe live there in the future. And yes, even the World War II stuff, I find myself rooting for the Brits [the Allied troops] instead of the Americans, who liberated us. Teehee. Colonial mentality, call it, but I still love Britannia!
Turns out, there is such a cultural appreciation term for me! It's called Anglophile!! A certain love for anything England. Woot Woot. This started when I was in 6th grade, I think, waaay back in 1997, when I discovered my favourite band of all time and got absolutely obsessed about London.
Don't get me wrong, I was born here in this island country in Asia called the Philippines, but there was something absolutely different about me. I was brought up in a Western sort of way, with relatives from America, and also well, the blood of my Spanish ancestors also run in my blood. I think.
Anyway.......... enough of the Anglophile talk. I just wanted to say I am an anglophile. teehee.
On other news, I've just seen Inception last Sunday and all I can say is WOW. One of the best movies I've ever seen so far. The plotline is absolutely complex, it's hard for me to think how Christopher Nolan wrote the screenplay for it. It was excellently done too. And Leo.. oh Leo. Why is he so freaking hot??
With the girl from Juno + Joseph Gordon-Levitt [I'll always associate him with 500 days of Summer & the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun - one of the best tv shows of all time], the ensemble cast is great!
And... Cillan Murphy.... he's Irish, you know? Adds all the more to his charm! teehee. I think I've seen him before in a British-produced movie but I'm racking my brains where and I'm too lazy to check on IMDB or wikipedia. teeehee.
Back to regular programming now - I'm back at work, and my commute to and from work is taking forever!!! I've packed my book light with me so I could work on some notes and maybe read a little while on the way home. The traffic going home [I live in the south of the metro] is absolutely unexpected - sometimes the commute takes less than 40 minutes, sometimes it takes more than an hour in the expressway. I love my Energizer book lamp. I got it for free from my Citibank credit card rewards points too =) Retail price is around P400+!
I'm still finalizing the itinerary for the Macau/HK trip that I plan to put up here sometime soon. Woo!
And yes, the blog has just officially gone from a book blog to my personal blog. AGAIN.
Blame the laziness in me to maintain 3 separate blogs.